Knitting needle



g: 2,", H F. J. MORITH KNITTING NEEDLE Filed Dec. 10, 1937 INVENTOR. IRANKLIN J MORJTH Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE KNITTING NEEDLE Franklin J. Morith, Batavia, N. Y. Application December 10, 1937, Serial No. 179,140

4 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting needles, and more especially to improvements in such devices either when used on power-driven knitting machines or on manually-operated needles such as those adapted to correct runs in stockings.

An object of the invention is to provide means in a hand-operated hosiery mender which will eliminate the possibility of the operator either pushing the needle ahead too fast or retarding the action to a degree which will result in improper action.

Another object is to provide means in such a device for making more certain its forward motion on the down stroke during its normal use.

Another object,is to include a stop means in the needle which will eliminate the necessity of winding 9. wire stop known as a spring back on to the needle.

A further object is to overcome the necessity of adjusting the pressure at the back of the latch of a knitting needle adapted for use either on a machine or by hand and which includes the use of a hair spring placed under the latch to cause it to operate automatically.

Finally, an object is to provide a knitting needle which is more reliable in operation, either when handor machine-driven, more fully automatic, requiring less skill to use when hand-operated, and which will be inexpensive to make and rugged in construction.

All these and other objects as suggested herebelow are attained by the method and means now to be described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of this invention for use as a hand-operated hosiery mender.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged detail view of the latch mechanism at-the operating end of the needle, and showing the latch in down or closed position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the latch in the up or open position.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Figs. 3 and 4 but showing a modified form of spring-operated latch in which a spiral spring and plunger is used.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a needle-shank member ID, shaped substantially as shown, and having a laterally-extending hole near its upper end through which a pin II is adapted to freely rotate. This pin rotatably mounts a pair of oppositely-disposed spaced discs l2, l2, somewhat larger in diameter than the width of the operators thumb and finger ends, and adapted to be lightly held by the thumb and forefinger as shown at l3, I4, respectively.

The lower end of member ID terminates in a hook portion Illa, shaped substantially as shown in the drawing and being positioned beneath a through slot [0b in member Ill in which a latch member [5 is adapted to pivot about a transverse axis pin I6. The upper and lower edges of slot lob are slanted outwardly away from each other to permit a sufficient movement of latch l5, as clearly shown in the enlarged detail, Figs. 3 and 4. Referring now to these last named figures, it will be noted that latch l5 which is somewhat pointed at its outer end, terminates at its inner end in a spiral outline and that its axis I6 is positioned off-center so that this upper end represents a cam surface. Thus, the pivot I6 is at the generating point of the spiral, a portion of which comprises the cam-like end surface of latch 15. So, any part of the generated spiral surface can be used, depending on the size of the latch, which, however, governs the pitch of the spiral. The tendency of the spiral-shaped end is to make the latch turn as long as there is any pressure on it, whereas a mere eccentric cam would turn less than and the pressure would not or could not be made the same at all points. With the spiral curve, it can be shaped to have any pressure operate it at any given point; so, with a light spring at the end of the run of the latch, one can obtain just as much speed of travel as at the beginning.

A flat spring I! is positioned across the inner or left hand opening of slot [0b, in manner as shown, its ends being flanged at right angles tofit into tiny holes at the upper and lower edges of said slot, the cam end of latch [5 being so arranged as shown that spring I1 is in tension when the latch is down or closed as in Fig. 3 to function so as to automatically move the latch to the up or open position as in Fig. 4, in which position spring I1 is unflexed or no longer in tension. Thus, the arrangement is such that the latch is automatically held open and in the normal operation of the device is closed by the catching of the thread, which when released permits the spring to act to return the latch again to open position.

Fig. 5 shows a modification of the spring arrangement for latch [5 in which instead of a flat spring I! there is a plunger l8 adapted to move in a longitudinal opening in member 10 and having a cap la and a spiral spring l9 above said cap and in an enlarged opening also longitudinally arranged in shank member Ill. The lower end of operating plunger or pin l8 engages the eccentric cam surface of latch I in such manner that latch l5 tends to remain in open position by the tendency of compressed spiral spring [9 to elongate and push pin l8 downwardly. That is to say, when the latch I5 is closed the distance between the bearing point of the pin l8 and the pivot pin I6 of the latch is greater than when the latch is up or open; also this hearing point is slightly to the left or away from the hook portion I [la of the needle with reference to pivot point l6 as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

In the embodiment shown in the first four figures the ends of flat spring I! may be slightly tapered for easy assembly in their tiny holes in shank member I0.

When this device is used on a knitting machine-it is of course understood that variations in the shape of the hook Illa may be used as desired. It is also understood that in place of the flat spring I! previously described, a wire spring somewhat similar in outline may be substituted;

In manual use, as for mending runs in stockings; the operator places the thumb and forefinger I3, I4, lightly in the center of the two discs l2; asshown in Fig. 2. Then the hook portion Illa, suspended loosely below the fingers which thus holds the needle, is dropped downwardly into the material and the movement or operationthen is a simple up and down one, the needle taking care of feeding along and picking up one-stitchafter another in rotation and without dropping a stitch to re-weave the threads back to their original woven position in relation to one-another.

In hosiery menders heretofore developed, only'a' very skilled operator can use them successfully; One-of the chief troubles is that the operator either pushes the needle ahead too fast or retards the action too-much. The button-shaped discs essary to carefully re-design the shape of the point to that shown in the drawing in order to make the forward motion of the needle on the down stroke more certain in action. Finally, to overcome the necessity of adjusting the pressure at the back of the latch for the different users, applicant has arranged the latch to operate automatically for all users.

Of course it will be understood that these improvements, as regards the automatic operation of the latch, are equally desirable on a knitting machine but that such needles would not of course need the holding discs I2, l2.

It will of course be understood that variations may be made in the details of this disclosure and yet be comprehended within the scope of applicants rights which are only limited by the appended claims.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which Letters Patent of the United States is desired, is:

1. A holdng handle for manually-operated knitting needles used in repairing runs in knitted fabrics, consisting of a pair of rotatable fingerengaging members at the extreme upper end of the needle assembly and adapted to fully suspend the needle therefrom in a delicately-swingable and unbalanced manner such that the operator has no control over the forward movement of the needle point.

2. A hosiery mender comprising a needle having its lower end terminate in a hook portion having a pivoted latch and means for automatically returning the latch from any position to open position relative to the hook, said latch-returning means including a true spiral cam near the pivot-point of the latch, and a spring in constant contact with the cam surface from open to closed position, whereby the latch is held in constant spring control.

8. The invention as in claim 2, the upper end of the needle being swingably suspended from finger-holding means.

4. The invention as in claim 2, said spring being generally-fiat in shape.

FRANKLIN J. MORITH. 

